Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,276 in Kingston upon Thames, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kingston upon Thames
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,276
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston upon Thames and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kingston upon Thames and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,276 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Kingston upon Thames $3,276
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,746 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Kingston upon Thames $4,746
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,216 in Kingston upon Thames versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Kingston upon Thames $6,216
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 47% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston upon Thames 143% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.10 £16.58
$16.50 €14.67
33.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.6 £65.0
$61.3 €54.5
41.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.42 £7.82
$11.27 €10.03
-7.54%
Cappuccino
$5.46 £4.09
$3.06 €2.72
78.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.25
$2.26 €2.01
32.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.73 €1.54
4.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.20 £6.91
$3.39 €3.02
171.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 £5.93
$3.40 €3.02
132.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.12 €1.00
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.73 £1.30
$1.86 €1.65
-6.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.45 £1.84
$1.53 €1.36
60.13%
Eggs
$4.91 £3.68
$3.96 €3.53
23.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.46 £6.35
$12.76 €11.35
-33.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.72 £6.54
$7.90 €7.02
10.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 £9.74
$16.97 €15.09
-23.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.13 £2.35
$2.27 €2.02
37.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.75 €1.55
-22.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.61 £1.96
$1.85 €1.64
41.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.90 £2.18
$2.57 €2.28
12.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 £1.25
$1.86 €1.65
-10.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 £1.28
$2.02 €1.80
-15.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 £0.93
$1.44 €1.28
-13.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.82 €0.73
119.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$6.56 €5.83
254.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.31 £6.99
$5.62 €5.00
65.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.09 £2.32
$1.28 €1.14
141.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45 £3.34
$2.07 €1.84
114.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.37 £1.78
$2.35 €2.09
0.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.49 £31.88
$44.18 €39.30
-3.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 £3.69
$3.99 €3.55
23.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.09 €0.97
31.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.70 £17.78
$16.64 €14.81
42.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 £1.49
$2.28 €2.03
-13.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.7K £28.3K
$33.7K €30.0K
11.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K £29.9K
$39.3K €35.0K
1.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$371 £278
$167 €149
121.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.63 £11.73
$18.80 €16.72
-16.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.78 £30.60
$33.09 €29.43
23.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$102 £76.8
$46.01 €40.93
122.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.49 £7.87
$19.19 €17.07
-45.34%
Cinema Ticket
$19.46 £14.60
$9.84 €8.75
97.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,594 £1,946
$677 €602
283.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.2K £16.6K
$16.9K €15.1K
30.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.7
$101 €90.1
12.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.6 £40.19
$45.76 €40.70
17.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.1 £58.6
$100.0 €88.9
-21.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 £79.7
$123 €109
-13.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,035 £1,527
$1,614 €1,436
26.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,832 £1,374
$1,197 €1,065
53.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,567 £2,676
$2,862 €2,545
24.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,164 £2,374
$1,990 €1,770
58.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,577 €6,740
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,307 €3,831
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kingston upon Thames
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,303 £3,978
$1,588 €1,412
233.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
3.85
23.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kingston upon Thames
$1.8K
Lisbon
$1.2K 34.7% $635
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kingston upon Thames
$427
Lisbon
$219 48.6% $208
Eating Out
Kingston upon Thames
$355
Lisbon
$242 31.7% $112
Groceries & Markets
Kingston upon Thames
$298
Lisbon
$269 9.7% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Kingston upon Thames
$158
Lisbon
$166 5% $7.9
Sport & Entertainment
Kingston upon Thames
$141
Lisbon
$66 53.5% $76
Getting Around
Kingston upon Thames
$64
Lisbon
$63 1.6% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,035 in Kingston upon Thames and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 234% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $87.0 in Kingston upon Thames vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Kingston upon Thames
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
18:55 6:55 PM
18:55 6:55 PM
Same time as Kingston upon Thames
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,013
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kingston upon Thames Lisbon 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kingston upon Thames
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Kingston upon Thames vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Kingston upon Thames and in Lisbon?
Kingston upon Thames and Lisbon differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($3,276 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Kingston upon Thames or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 234% higher in Kingston upon Thames, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Kingston upon Thames and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,035 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Kingston upon Thames and in Lisbon?
A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 4% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kingston upon Thames and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $2,594 in Kingston upon Thames versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $3,276 in Kingston upon Thames, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Kingston upon Thames. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Kingston upon Thames and Lisbon?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Kingston upon Thames or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Kingston upon Thames and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Kingston upon Thames or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Kingston upon Thames vs other spots: cost of living compared

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